James Woodliffe

Planning The Mix

James Woodliffe

Throughout the mix process I plan to essentially follow these steps explained via Sound on Sound. Using the drums, bass and vocals as the backbone of the song and bringing everything else in around it.

“I felt that the drums and the main bass line formed the backbone of the song, so I balanced these first and then brought up the vocals. By getting these key parts to sit together, the other elements could be slid into place without too much problem.”

Adding certain aspects to each area of the song such as bass etc:

“To bring the bass more up to date, I added some sub-octave using Logic ‘s SubBass plug-in, then dirtied up the sound a little using Logic ‘s Phase Distortion plug-in, which gives sounds a kind of rough-edged frequency-modulation character”

Layering Backing Vocals down into the track and mixing them will be challenging due to the fact that I don’t have a lot of backing vocals to work with. I have tried shoehorning vocals into the tracks, but sometimes I think I’m putting it in for the sake of it rather than it needing to be there. I have tried the Max Martin method of pairing long notes with short notes and vice versa etc, but it doesn’t seem to work. However, the vocals that I do have will be balanced and ensure the reverbs/echos all work appropriately.

“Once I had what I felt was a good balance, I fine-tuned it using Logic ‘s mix automation, paying particular attention to the vocal balance. I also cut and pasted a few of the backing-vocal parts just after the middle of the song, running them beneath the first words of the following main vocal and giving them a long, decaying echo feel.”

http://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/mix-rescue-synth-pop

 

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Vocal production

James Woodliffe

Before recording vocals for this project I researched what other producers had to say about vocal mic choice. My research led me to a choice of 3 mics the RE20, the Neumann U87 and AKG C414. This gave me a range of sound and also a split between dynamic and condenser microphones. After reading the Sound on Sound tips on vocal mic production I definitely agreed with what they said. However I did like the contrast between songs and would select a different mic for a different section if I was redoing it.

“Electro-Voice RE20: The RE20 produced a sound with really nice lows and plenty of body. However, it sounded a bit ‘honky’ and ‘shouty’ on the more ‘pushed’ notes of the performance.

Neumann U47: As expected, the U47 resulted in a big, ‘brown’ and forward sound. It felt nicely balanced, but was still a little shouty. At lower levels it was better‑balanced, but there was still something of a ‘honky’ resonance.”

Although the U47 is not the same mic as the U87,

“A lead vocal will ideally be delivered as expressively and freely as possible, while respecting the melody, but this isn’t usually the case for BVs.” Before recording BVs I would map out the lead vocal on the track and Melodyne it so I had a clear sense of where the melody was going. This would allow me to push backing vocals in where needed and make sure they are 100% in tune with the lead vocal.

“Because double-tracking enhances tonality while blurring the rough edges of a less-than-perfect performance, it’s often a useful technique to deploy on mediocre or unconfident singers as a flattering effect. The (big) down side is that it can also reduce the immediacy and intimacy of a vocal part, especially if it’s a good one, so tread with care. Creating a double-track is easily accomplished by getting the singer to accompany their own lead vocal, duplicating any nuances wherever possible. Often, though, the process can be even simpler: if more than one take of the lead vocal has been recorded, with a little luck and a bit of editing an unused take can function as the double. But if the vocal is up-front and exposed, or if the main part features a once-in-a-lifetime performance, additional takes to duplicate it and/or some serious editing will be required.” A lot of my vocals are single tracked with a double track on the chorus because of this. I attempted double tracking everything, however it was a bit of overkill on the tracks and did reduce the immediacy and intimacy of a vocal part. So instead I decided to work more with the reverbs and delays to achieve a bigger vocal sound that sat within the track in a more comfortable sense.

“Additionally, consider the sheer amount of tracking that’s necessary to achieve the wide stereo spread typical of modern pop vocals. Two similar vocal tracks placed in the same location in the stereo field will clearly exhibit the effects of double-tracking, but once panned hard left and hard right, you’ll lose much, if not all, of that effect: each is now a single voice coming from a single speaker. In other words, in order to create a truly wide multi-tracked vocal, each part needs to be performed at least four times — twice each for left and right. (And having done that, you may well find that three or four times is better!)” Throughout this project I have been very aware of the vocal and trying to place vocals in where its needed, after reading this article I have employed this into one of my tracks in areas where I want the vocal to pop out more. (The first verse of I Am Lorde LaLaLa (Changing My Direction))

http://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/vocal-mics

http://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/crafting-perfect-pop-backing-vocals

Song 3 – Chainsmokers

James Woodliffe

This song inspired by Chainsmokers’ latest collaboration with Coldplay – “Something Just Like This”. Featuring keys, vocals and a drop – something that I haven’t incorporated before or ever written. The vocals are yet to go down, including the real instruments, which will be bass drum and claps etc. These will be used to thicken out the sound. The image shows the level of automation I have had to use on this track. I have had to microwork on this song due to my RAM not being able to cope and crashing every few seconds of playback – so it has been a struggle!


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Song Composition – Glen Ballard

James Woodliffe

Glen Ballard, songwriter/producer that has sold over 150 million albums gave an interview in sound on sound about the most important assets of songwriter.producers and how to improve mixes of pop music. (LO3+LO4)

“When I collaborate with an artist, it is very important for me to understand what their goals are. It sounds like a question that doesn’t need to be asked, but it is a very important question. Some people want to be famous. If that is their number one goal, I am probably not the right person to be working with. I want them to be famous as a result of what we do. For me, the most important thing is the motivation of the artist and the commitment to making great music. So that is the first question. What do you want to do? When I get to the core of what somebody wants to accomplish, it makes it much easier to go out and do that.” – Albeit something that does not become relevant in my project, due to the nature of myself writing and producing for myself. It is difficult being both artist and producer, I am trying to produce pop music I enjoy and also want to produce.

“So don’t get obsessed with changing one thing. A special effect you’re looking for could take a day, and you waste a day chasing after something that isn’t going to make that much difference. I have learned over the years to try and keep focused on what really is important.” – Whilst mixing I have tried to limit changes and keep moving on within the mix instead of focusing on one aspect for too long. Otherwise I will spend a lot of time on one area which won’t improve much.

“I think a producer’s job involves many aspects. The most important thing that a producer can bring is judgment of material. A great song or a great piece of music is very hard to mess up. Your skills as a producer will only be elevated by the level of the material you are working with. If you are working with mediocre material, it takes a lot of work to make it palatable. Most of us have spent time on material that probably didn’t deserve that much time. “For me, it starts with that and knowing where to spend your time. It all goes back to developing a critical faculty in terms of understanding what really works. While it’s intangible, it’s something that you can develop an instinct about. I start with material. That is the first thing. If you are going to produce a record, what are the songs? If you don’t have any songs, that is your first order of business. If you don’t have anything that makes you excited, then you must find it.” – This is something that I find the most relevant throughout this process. I have had many ideas floating about but whether they are good enough to work on or not is a different matter. When I haven’t fully invested in the material it has become a lot harder to write and produce which is time consuming work when I could be investing in other tracks.

http://www.soundonsound.com/people/glen-ballard-songwriterproducer